Our goal is to ensure that UST systems are installed, operated, maintained and closed safely and in compliance with UST regulations to prevent harm to others and the environment. We offer various services to assist UST owners and operators in obtaining and maintaing compliance with federal UST regulations. On this page, you can find information to aid you in day-to-day compliance, in addition to information pertaining to technical assistance inspections and potential leaks. You also can find additional information about various UST operation and maintenance issues, including insurance, release detection, release prevention, installation, change-in-service and closures, by checking out ourUSTs and Information Resources web pages.

How do I remember what I need to do and when I need to do it?
If your facility is in Indian country, it contains a list of almost every requirement in the federal UST regulations; however, not all of them will apply to your facility as there are many different types of equipment that can be used in an UST system.

If you are unsure which requirements apply to your facility, contact your UST service provider. If you have any questions, contact an EPA Region 4 inspector or enforcement specialist listed on our EPA and State Contacts page. If your facility is NOT in Indian country, it is recommended that you contact a state UST inspector, not EPA, for answers to questions and requests for compliance assistance.

Operator Training
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) has mandated that all regulated underground storage tanks (UST) storing regulated products be inspected at a minimum of every three years. Also within the EPAct, there are guidelines for the mandated training of three classes of UST operators by August 8, 2012. The operators that must be trained and certified are those with primary on-site operation and maintenance of UST systems (A Operators); those having daily on-site responsibility (B Operators); and those daily on-site employees that deal with addressing emergencies as the result of a spill or release (C Operators). One person may be designated to fill all operator categories depending on the organization of the facility. The training and certification process is implemented by the state or states where the owner operates his or her facilities. The facility owner and designated operators should contact the appropriate states (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina,Tennessee) for UST operator training and certification.

Can I request a Technical Assistance Inspection?Yes, for facilities in Indian country, which includes facilities on Indian reservations owned by non-Indians, EPA Inspectors can conduct a technical assistance inspection of your facility to help you achieve and maintain compliance with federal UST regulations. This inspection will be conducted to determine whether your facility is in compliance. If not, the EPA Inspector will identify the areas that are not in compliance, explain applicable UST requirements and assist you in achieving compliance. For facilities not in Indian country, you should check with the appropriate state agency.

Have you discovered something wrong with your UST system that may have caused a release to the environment? If so, you MUST report it; visit our LUST page to find out notification requirements. To provide incentives for reporting, we may be able to provide you with assistance to reduce your potential liability.

The Small Business Compliance Policy (PDF, 18 pp, 43K) promotes environmental compliance among small businesses that have 100 or fewer employees by providing incentives to discover, disclose and correct environmental problems. EPA will eliminate or significantly reduce penalties for small businesses that voluntarily discover violations of environmental law and promptly disclose and correct them. The Small Business Compliance Policy Fact Sheet (PDF, 2 pp, 75K) summarizes the criteria in the Small Business Compliance Policy and provides EPA Regional contacts. Other resources for small businesses include:

Businesses with more than 100 employees may be eligible for the Policy on Incentives for Self-Policing, known as the Audit Policy which also provides potential penalty reductions for voluntary discovery and correction of environmental violations. For more information, visit EPA’s Audit Policy web page.

In 2004, EPA issued a policy to assist small communities with compliance by allowing penalty reductions for small local governments if they achieve comprehensive compliance or implement an Emergency Management System (EMS). More information can be found on the Small Communities Compliance and Enforcement page.